An Insider's Perspective to Mentoring Novice Math and Science Teachers in a University Mentoring Program: A Self-Study

Novice teachers benefit from individualized and cohort mentoring to help them successfully navigate student teaching and the first years of independent teaching. However, schools are experiencing a rise in attrition rates post-pandemic, especially in math and science. Mentoring, goal setting, and community-building are deemed important for retaining novices and providing them with individualized support as they navigate instructional challenges and professional responsibilities. This self-study investigates the experiences of a mentor while leading a new Professional Development & Mentoring Program for math and science novices. Educative mentoring and Hegarty’s Reflective framework helped guide the reflections of the mentor as mentoring strategies and programming were evaluated. The mentor identified areas of strength and growth and understood how mentoring, goal setting, relationship building, and the established learning communities were mutually beneficial for the novices and mentor. The findings and implications presented in this dissertation can prove valuable for universities and schools seeking to improve their mentor's experience as they lead supplemental induction and mentoring programs.